Portrait of LeBron James

Rank #2736

LeBron James

Net worth $1.4B

Basketball · United States

Born
Dec 30, 1984
Age
41
Source
Basketball
Residence
Los Angeles, California
Citizenship
United States
Marital status
Married
Children
3
Education

Net worth over time

Biography

  • LeBron James is the first active NBA player to become a billionaire.
  • Born to a 16-year-old single mother, he lived with an assortment of family members, friends and neighbors, plus his youth football coach, before being drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003.
  • James has since gone on to earn upwards of $500 million in pretax salary from stints with the Cavaliers, the Miami Heat and his current team, the Los Angeles Lakers.
  • He has raked in more than $1 billion (pretax) off the court, according to Forbes estimates, from his business ventures and endorsement deals with brands including Nike.
  • Key to his billionaire status: James has been more than a pitchman, taking equity in brands he works with, including Beats by Dre.
  • His LeBron James Family Foundation opened its first elementary school in 2018 and has pledged to spend more than $40 million to send kids to college.
  • James has publicly dreamed about one day owning an NBA team. As an investor in Fenway Sports Group, he already owns stakes in pro baseball, soccer and hockey teams.
  • In 2021, James sold a minority stake in his movie and TV production business, the SpringHill Company, to a handful of investors at a $725 million valuation.